


Arrowverse One-Shot Collection

by Jammatown919



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Caitlin and Frost are queerplatonic, F/F, F/M, Mostly shipping, Others will appear but aren't super relevant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27403477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jammatown919/pseuds/Jammatown919
Summary: Mostly just some shipping one-shots I had in my head. If you want to toss a prompt my way, go for it and I may write it for ya (with credit for the idea, of course).SHORT HIATUSMost Recent Chapters:2 - Another Love (Lauryssa)3 - Estranged (Brainia)4 - Minute to Midnight (Lauryssa)
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Barry Allen/Iris West, Cisco Ramon/Caitlin Snow, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Killer Frost & Caitlin Snow, Nyssa al Ghul/Laurel Lance, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Querl Dox/Nia Nal, Roy Harper/Thea Queen, Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. Cohabitation (Brainia)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Yvette leaves National City for a job opportunity, Nia finds herself in need of a new roommate.

It was a few weeks after moving in with Yvette that Nia had become aware of her roommate's life goal. She wanted to be an actress, and was constantly attending different auditions for a wide variety of parts in an even wider variety of media. Nia quite enjoyed helping Yvette get ready for her auditions, as well as hearing about how they'd gone. They were both in the habit of getting their hopes way up whenever Yvette got a callback, which Nia was starting to notice was happening a lot more recently. She'd yet to actually land a part, though, meaning that they were also in the habit of being sorely disappointed on a regular basis.

When Yvette came running down the stairs one evening, phone in hand and grinning like a lunatic, Nia assumed it was because of another callback. Her second one in as many weeks. Nia barely glanced up from the article she was working on to smile back.

But when Yvette cried out that she'd gotten a part, she suddenly had Nia's full attention. She was actually going to be on a tv show. Part of the main cast, too. They got so excited that they broke out the expensive champagne to celebrate.

For nearly an hour, they sipped their drinks and happily discussed Yvette's opportunity. She was absolutely giddy as she went on about how this could be the start of a exciting new career, about how she was finally a real actress. Nia could've listened to her all night. Her dream had finally come true, and Nia couldn't have been happier for her. At some point, Nia asked where filming would be taking place, and suddenly Yvette had that 'I have bad news' look on her face.

As it turned out, filming was to take place in Central City. In order to accept the part, Yvette would have to move there for at least ten months, possibly longer if her show was renewed for more seasons. Hearing that was disappointing, to say the least, but Nia thought she reacted well. It was just too good an opportunity to refuse. And besides, just because Yvette was moving didn't mean they were going to lose each other as friends. They'd visit one another, and Nia would be fine covering rent on her own until she could find another roommate.

In the following weeks, Nia helped with packing and assisted in searching online for Central City apartments. On Yvette's last night in National City, they went out for drinks. Filming wouldn't start for another month or so, but they'd both agreed that it would be best for her to get situated in her new home before her hectic new job began. The next morning, they said their goodbyes and headed off; Nia to CatCo and Yvette to an entirely different city.

Nia realized quite quickly that living alone was not her style. It was her first time living without roommates or family members, and she sorely missed having someone to come home to. Someone to ask about her day and to tell her about their own. Someone with which to have fun nights in and bond over their shared space. Yvette had essentially been her live-in best friend, and without her, Nia found the apartment far too quiet and empty.

Her solution? Have her boyfriend over as often as physically possible.

It started gradually. Nia often found herself lonely in her newly empty apartment, so naturally, she began inviting Brainy over more often. A few times a week quickly turned into practically every day, with Brainy staying over most nights. After about a month, it got to the point that he would spend consecutive days in Nia's apartment without going home.

At that point, she went and bought a spare key to put under the mat for him. Now she didn't even have to invite him, he just naturally showed up after work at least five days a week.

After four straight days of him staying over and going to work only to come back to the apartment, Nia made a light joke about them practically living together. Almost as soon as she said it, it hit her that they actually could. Neither of them had roommates, they'd been dating for nearly a year, and Brainy seemed to vastly prefer her apartment to his own.

Despite deciding right then and there that she wanted to ask him to move in with her, Nia said nothing that day. She wanted to be cute about it. She'd always liked the idea of those little mini proposals with keys to one partner's house. Sure, she'd already bought a spare key for him, but that wasn't exactly the same thing. That wasn't his key, it was the spare that she'd told most of her friends the location of.

Two days later, Nia had a brand new key nicely giftwrapped for Brainy. The second she got home from work, she plopped down on the couch with it in her hands to wait for Brainy to arrive. She was expecting him soon; she'd ended up having to stay late at CatCo, so they were actually getting home around the same time for once. Home. She liked the sound of that. She couldn't wait to hear Brainy call the place home.

Assuming he accepted her proposal, of course. Nia didn't see any reason why he wouldn't, but she had to remember that she was asking to take a huge step in their relationship. There was always a chance that he wasn't ready for this yet. Maybe she was totally wrong and he really did like living by himself in his own apartment. She sincerely doubted it, but maybe.

She was broken out of her thoughts when the front door opened, followed quickly by Brainy walking in.

"Hey," Nia hopped up, holding the gift box behind her back. "How was work?"

"Quite boring, actually," Brainy replied as he shut the door behind him. He seemed to be about to say more, but then he squinted at Nia. "What is behind your back?"

"I have something for you." Nia crossed the room, stopping in front of him, and brandished the gift box. She passed it into his hand, watching delightedly as he carefully opened it.

"A key." He observed, glancing between it and her.

"A key." She confirmed. "I thought, since you've been practically living here for the past month, we might as well make it official. And I know I already got you a key, but that one's more of a spare, this one is yours. If you want it, that is. I know it's a huge step, so I totally get it if you're not ready for this, but-"

"Nia Nal," Brainy reached for her hand, holding it gently. "I would be honored to move in with you."

"Really?" Nia felt her grin growing as he nodded.

"I've been sorely missing cohabitation since separating from the Legion." Brainy replied. "Spending time here, with you, has significantly eased that longing. I think that living with you would rid me of it entirely."

Overwhelmingly happy to hear those words, Nia looped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. He kissed back, circling his free arm around her back, still delicately holding his new key in the other hand. It was one of those long kisses where neither of them wanted to be the one to break away, but eventually, they had to come up for air.

Once they'd separated, Brainy closed the box with his key and stowed it safely away in his pocket.

"Whenever you're ready, I can start helping you move your stuff over here." Nia offered as the two of them finally left the front door in favor of moving to the couch.

"That won't be necessary," Brainy shook his head as they sat down. " I don't have many belongings to be moved. I can have them here by tomorrow evening."

"If you're sure." Nia leaned into him, and he instantly put an arm around her shoulders.

They fell into a comfortable silence, half-cuddling on what was now their couch. It was kind of crazy to think that everything here was theirs now. This place was theirs. This was where they were going to start building their life.

Comforted by Brainy's warmth, Nia began to fall asleep against him. She knew she'd have to get up soon so they could have dinner, but she just wanted to stay here with him for a little while. He let her drift, gently combing his fingers through her hair, and when she found her way into the dreamscape, she dreamt of a future together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Mostly context for later chapters that involve them already living together.


	2. Another Love (Lauryssa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nyssa steals a kiss and Laurel doesn't know what to do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A complete shot in the dark as to where this is in the timeline.

Over the past year, training with Nyssa had easily become one of the Laurel's favorite pass times. At first, it had been because these moments had always made her feel like some small piece of Sara was still with her, but things were different now. Sara was back, and Nyssa had become so much more to Laurel than just a reminder of her sister. They were friends, best friends, and Laurel would be lying if she said she didn't think about this woman all the time.

She looked forward to the training sessions they held in the disused warehouse they'd claimed as their own, not because she particularly enjoyed sparring, but because she loved spending time with Nyssa. She loved the way Nyssa gently corrected her, loved the way she fought, loved the playful banter they kept as they trained, loved taking her to their favorite diner afterward.

Of course, their closeness didn't mean that Nyssa would ever considering going easy on Laurel, as she knew all too well from being knocked flat on her back for the third time that evening.

"Dead." Nyssa declared. She lightly jabbed her training staff into Laurel's gut, eliciting a small "oof!" from her opponent. "Your stance needs to be wider, or else you'll be easily unbalanced."

She extended her hand, and Laurel pretended to reach for it. As Nyssa relaxed, clearly under the impression that they were done for the moment, Laurel took the opportunity to kick out at her legs. Nyssa's eyes widened slightly with the impact, but she hardly moved. Laurel sighed, accepting defeat, and took Nyssa's hand to hoist herself up.

"Nice try," Nyssa offered, a hint of playful smugness in her voice. "But without proper form, that move won't do you much good against someone who know what they're doing."

"It's worked on Ollie, though." Laurel pointed out.

"Like I said." Nyssa replied smoothly, prompting Laurel to let out a loud bark of a laugh.

"That's cold."

"Hardly." Nyssa rolled her eyes, the smallest of grins on her face. Laurel let her gaze linger on it. She'd never known Nyssa to smile much, which was a shame, because her smile really was a sight to behold. "What are you staring at?" Nyssa gave her a look, and Laurel quickly averted her eyes. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare." She said hastily, slowly looking back at Nyssa. "You just have a nice smile."

Nyssa said nothing for a few moments, during which Laurel could almost swear that her face had flushed. 

"Well, if you're finished," Nyssa began, and any remnant of a blush disappeared. "How about one more go tonight?"

Laurel almost said no, that she was too tired to get her ass handed to her a fourth time, but there was something in the way Nyssa was looking at her that made her want to stay. She could handle a few more minutes of training. 

"Yeah," She agreed. What was the harm in one last round? "One more."

Laurel quickly scooped up the training staff she'd dropped during her fall and assumed a defensive position, waiting for Nyssa to make the first move. Nyssa came at her smoothly, their staffs clashing together once, then twice, and as Laurel moved to strike a third time, Nyssa's leg swept out and her foot crashed into Laurel's ankle. 

Startled, Laurel let out a yelp and instinctively grabbed onto her friend's sleeve in an attempt to right herself. Her weight brought them both to the floor, Nyssa on top of Laurel. 

"I thought you said that move didn't work." Laurel grumbled as she watched their dropped staffs roll off to the side of the little training area they'd set up. 

"I'm not going to make the same joke twice." Nyssa replied, smirking down at Laurel. Her eyes shone with mischief, something that Laurel had seldom ever seen in her. 

"Ha ha," Laurel said dryly, attempting to push Nyssa off of her. Predictably, Nyssa didn't budge; even after a year of training, Nyssa was still flatly stronger than her. She'd only be getting up when Nyssa let her. "One of these day it'll be you who's pinned."

"Is that so?" Nyssa asked teasingly, her face so close that her dangling hair brushed Laurel's nose. Is this the part where we kiss? Laurel asked herself jokingly, but before she could say it out loud, Nyssa actually began leaning in. 

Their lips pressed softly together, and Laurel had absolutely no idea how to react. On one hand, there was a beautiful, amazing woman whose smile she could never look away from on top of her and kissing her. That thought alone was enough to make her want to melt into the kiss, but on the other hand, this woman was her best friend and her sister's ex girlfriend. They couldn't do this. 

Nyssa pulled away after about five seconds, but Laurel felt like they'd been there on the mat for hours. 

"Nyssa, what the hell?" She asked breathlessly. Nyssa's eyes widened as she scrambled off of Laurel. 

"I thought-" For the first time since Laurel had known her, she actually looked quite spooked. "I- Have I... made things awkward?"

"I mean, yeah, kind of." Laurel said as she got to her feet. "You're my sister's ex!"

"Sara has moved on." Nyssa protested, looking thoroughly embarrassed. "I thought it was time I did the same."

"With her sister?" Laurel asked incredulously. 

"With another woman with whom I enjoy spending my time." Nyssa corrected. "But, I am sorry. I never intended to make you uncomfortable." 

"It's not that I didn't like that, I just-" Laurel struggled the find the words. The kiss had actually be quite nice. It was her first since Tommy, and she hadn't quite realized until now how much she'd missed that type of affection. "We can't."

"Because of Sara?" Nyssa inquired. "I highly doubt she would mind. And even if she did, why does she get a say? This is entirely up to you and me."

"It's not just Sara," Laurel sighed heavily. "It's everyone. What would my father think of me dating someone who kidnapped my mother? And what about the team?"

"You're making excuses." Nyssa said flatly. 

"Excuse me?"

"Laurel, I have feelings for you, and that is the truth." Nyssa told her firmly. "If you don't return them, you can just say it. I won't be hurt. What does hurt me is that you're making excuses, telling me we can't instead of telling me why you won't. Just look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel the same way and we can move on. We can go back to normal as soon as you say it."

"I-" Laurel froze for a moment. Could she say it? Could she look this woman in the eye and honestly say that she didn't think about her all the time? That her smile didn't light up a room? That she didn't love her? 

"Say it, Laurel."

"I can't." Laurel admitted softly. She looked away, suddenly unable to meet Nyssa's gaze. 

"And why not?" Nyssa demanded. 

"Because it's not true." Laurel hugged her chest, staring pointedly at the floor. "I can't say that I don't love you because that's a lie, but I can't say that I do because it would just complicate everything. I've never even dated a woman before, much less a former assassin. And I know you think I'm making excuses, but you can't honestly tell me that people wouldn't talk." She spoke quickly, urgently, as if something terrible would happen if she didn't get this all out right then. "Maybe Sara would be fine, but I really don't think my father would approve. He still thinks I'm straight, how am I going to come out and tell him I'm dating my sister's ex who kidnapped my mother all in the same breath?"

She drew in a shaky breath, slightly embarrassed by her outburst. 

"Are you finished?" Nyssa said as soon as she could got a word in through Laurel's rambling. Laurel gave her a small nod. "Good. Now look at me." Slowly, Laurel brought her eyes back up to Nyssa's face. "It doesn't matter to me what other people are going think, and I don't know why it matters to you. This isn't their decision. It's yours. I don't care what they want, I'm asking what you want. What do you want?"

Laurel barely had to think about that; she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted to be wrapped up in Nyssa's arms, and to feel Nyssa's lips on hers without worrying about consequences. It was asking for it that Laurel found difficult. Still, Nyssa was right. This wasn't up to anybody else. She could be with Nyssa, she could love and be loved in a way she hadn't since Tommy's death; all she had to do was say she wanted to. 

"I want to kiss you again." Her voice was quiet, like she was telling a secret. 

"Is that all?" Nyssa prompted patiently. 

"I want to be with you," Laurel confessed. "But I don't know how."

"Did you know how to be a lawyer before you went to law school?" Nyssa asked, giving Laurel pause. What was she getting at? "Did you know how to be a vigilante before becoming the Black Canary? No. You learned how to do those things. If you really want this, you'll learn." 

"Okay," Laurel practically whispered. "Where do we start?"

"We start here." Nyssa slowly closed the distance between the two of them and brought one hand up to cup Laurel's cheek. Carefully, Laurel leaned forward until their lips met, her chest fluttering as they pressed against one another. It was short and sweet, and when Nyssa pulled away, Laurel found herself wishing it had been longer.

After separating from Laurel, Nyssa went to collect their staffs, which had conveniently stopped rolling at the bottom of the rack in which they were stored.

"If it's alright with you, I think that's enough training for tonight." She said as she placed the staffs on the rack. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," Laurel smiled as Nyssa turned around to face her, and Nyssa smiled right back. "Our diner's still open. It can be our first date." 

Nyssa walked back over to Laurel and held out her hand. Laurel hesitantly took it in her own, running her thumb over the back of it. She couldn't believe they were actually going out. If this went well, she'd have a girlfriend. 

"Alright, then," Nyssa replied, turning toward the warehouse's exit. "It's a date."


	3. Estranged (Brainia)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maeve's birthday rolls around and brings up some painful memories for Nia.

Nia had managed to get through half her day without realizing. She'd gone through her entire morning routine, arrived at work, and made some good progress on her latest article, all while being blissfully unaware of what day it was. She was forgetful like that; it was why she set alarms for everything. The alarm she'd set for this particular occasion went off right at the start of her lunch break. Upon hearing the buzz, Nia's first thought was that Brainy was trying to call her. Perfectly normal. Instead, the words "Call Maeve" greeted her as she retrieved her phone from her purse. It was her sister's birthday. Her newly estranged sister's birthday.

Hastily, Nia silenced the alarm and moved to shove her phone back into her bag, but something stopped her. She really did want to call Maeve and pretend things were normal, but they weren't. Not a single word had been exchanged between them since their mother's memorial service; since Maeve had declared that Nia was not a real woman.

She understood why Maeve was upset; the powers she'd trained her whole life to receive had chosen Nia instead, and then Nia had lied about it. What she didn't understand was why Maeve used her anger as an excuse to invalid her sister's identity. To revoke the support that had been so vital during Nia's transition. Nia shook her head and stowed her phone away. It didn't matter why. What mattered was that Nia wasn't going to call the sister who had responded to an attempt to spare her feelings with downright cruelty. No matter how much she wanted to repair their relationship, it was not Nia's job to seek out an apology from Maeve. It was either coming or it wasn't, and considering how much time had passed, it probably wasn't.

For the rest of her work day, Nia tried in vain to get her mind off of her sister. Her concentration was pretty screwed at this point, so progress on her article had all but stopped. No matter what she tried, her thoughts always managed to circle back around to Maeve. To how they were probably never going to fix their relationship if neither of them took initiative. But you shouldn't have to, she told herself over and over, it's her responsibility to make it right.

Needless to say, Nia got absolutely nothing done between the alarm going off and the end of the day.

By the time she got home, she was considering a nap so she wouldn't have to think about anything for a while. She had a couple of hours before Brainy was due to be home. With any luck, she'd feel better afterwards and be able to make up what she hadn't been able to accomplish at work before bed.

Upon opening the door, however, Nia was surprised to find that Brainy was already home. Perhaps it was one of the DEO's rare slow days. She knew Alex would sometimes send him home early in order to give him in the breaks he never gave himself. Of course, he was still on call, but it was better than nothing.

"Nia Nal," Brainy, perched neatly on the couch, smiled over his shoulder at her. "How was work?"

"Are you watching Dateline?" Nia asked instead of answering his question. She'd suggested it to him weeks ago, but things had been busy at the DEO and he hadn't had the time nor the focus to watch much tv.

"Ah," Brainy glanced back the screen. "Yes. As per your recommendation. I find it quite frustrating."

"Really?" Nia inquired as she walked around the couch to take a seat beside him. Perhaps some quality time with her boyfriend was just what she needed to cheer up.

"I was able to identify the culprit quite early on." Brainy replied, casually slipping an arm around her. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It wasn't difficult, and yet these detectives haven't a clue." He gave a little huff of annoyance, and Nia chuckled at him. God, he was cute.

"It wouldn't be a mystery if everyone caught on right away." She pointed out, only slightly teasingly. "We can't all be twelfth-level intellects."

"But the evidence is all there." Brainy protested. "How can anyone not see that it was his wife?"

"Spoilers!" Nia lightly thumped his arm and he fell silent with a small sigh.

For a few minutes, Nia thought that the show might be able to distract her, but that hope was quickly dashed. She couldn't focus on the unfolding mystery - although Brainy had been right in saying that the culprit was incredibly obvious - when her sister was still lurking in the back of her mind. Fortunately, however, she'd been both blessed and cursed with the ability to fall asleep anywhere, and she was already kind of tired. She'd nap to get her mind off everything, and hopefully she'd feel better once she woke up.

Falling asleep took no more than five minutes. Snuggled up against Brainy, it was easy to let herself drift into the dreamscape.

It presented itself in a way with which she was not familiar. All around her, there was nothing but dark, empty space. It seemed to be open, but Nia felt as if there were invisible walls on every side of her, closing her in, preventing her from leaving this one spot. 

"Hello?" She called out, listening to her voice echo. No answer came. 

All in all, not the worst dream she could've found herself in, though it did kind of defeat the purpose. She'd gone to sleep so she wouldn't have to think about anything, and now here she was, alone with her thoughts. Maybe this was the dreamscape's way of telling her that she needed to deal with this rather than just ignoring the problem. 

But what was there to deal with? She still wasn't going to swallow her pride for Maeve's sake. Not this time. 

_You weren't supposed to get the powers._

What the hell? The dreamscape had never spoken to her directly; certainly not to tell her something like that. 

"What?" She asked, not entirely sure that she'd heard correctly. 

_When are you going to stop playing hero?_

Was that... Maeve?

"What are you talking about?" Nia called. 

_Why couldn't you save Mom? ___

____

Nia froze. That was definitely her sister's voice.

____

"Maeve?" She asked tentatively. "What's going on?"

____

_Why couldn't you save her?!_

____

The scream startled Nia back into the real world. She jolted upright, eyes wide and heart racing. 

____

"Nia?" Instantly, Brainy's hand found her shoulder, squeezing gently. 

____

"I'm fine." She muttered. "It was just a dream."

____

He gave her a look, and she realized how odd that must sound coming from her. 

____

"A normal dream." She corrected. "It's fine." 

____

"Regardless, it seems to have caused you distress." Brainy observed, his voice soft. "Do you want to talk about it?"

____

"We don't have to."

____

"I know that we don't have to." Brainy replied, removing his hand from her shoulder. "I asked if you want to." 

____

Nia let out a sigh. She didn't particularly want to get into it, but maybe this was how she was supposed to deal with it. Going to Maeve to directly was out of the question, so talking about it with someone else would be the next best thing. 

____

"It was about my sister." She said vaguely. 

____

"You don't talk about her much." Brainy remarked. "I assume there's a reason for that?"

____

"Yeah," Nia replied. "I told you about how my powers were passed down from my mother. All our lives, everybody assumed that Maeve would get them because my mom had a dream when she was pregnant with Maeve that her daughter would inherit the powers."

____

"But your mother had two daughters. Once you came out, did nobody think that perhaps you would be the next Dreamer?"

____

"We'd already spent so long thinking it would be Maeve. Even I didn't consider that it could be me. I didn't even want it to be me." Nia looked down at her hands, recalling the feeling of fulfillment she got from using her powers. They were so much a part of her now that she could hardly believe that she'd spent so long trying to get rid of them. "Maeve didn't want it to be me either." 

____

"She didn't react well?"

____

"No, she didn't." Nia's voice cracked, and she took a moment to compose herself so she wouldn't start crying. "She told me I shouldn't have gotten them because I'm 'not even a real woman'." 

____

"She said that to you?" Brainy straightened, his voice as angry as it was disbelieving. Nia gave him a little nod.

____

"We haven't talked since." She sniffled, her voice growing thick with emotion as her eyes grew wet with tears. "Today's her birthday, and usually I'd call her and we'd catch up, but I can't just call her like everything's normal. A-and it hurts, y'know? We've always been so close, and I hate not being able to talk to her." 

____

"I'm sorry." Brainy said softly. Slowly, gently, he wrapped his arms around her. 

____

"It's not your fault." Nia mumbled, leaning into his chest. 

____

"I know, but you're in pain," He said. "And for that, I am sorry." 

____

"It'll be okay eventually." This was the thought that Nia was choosing to cling to. At some point, one occasion or another would force her and Maeve into the same room, and once they were together, they'd work it out. They had to. She couldn't for a second allow herself to believe that she was going to be permanently at odds with someone who had been her best friend for so long. "Doesn't make it any easier, though."

____

"Is there anything that I can do to help?"

____

"You're already helping." 

____

He tightened his hold on her slightly, and she relaxed against him, sighing as he began running his fingers through her hair. Despite her fractured relationship with Maeve still weighing heavily in her mind, being here, tucked safely against Brainy's chest, made Nia feel like things were okay. And they would be. She wasn't sure how or when, but someday, things would be okay again.

____


	4. Minute to Midnight (Lauryssa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver calls Nyssa while Laurel is in surgery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Summary: Author is still pissed off about 4x18 and refuses to get over it.

It was 11:28 when Nyssa got the call from Oliver that Laurel had been hurt. At the time, she'd been just outside of Star City, planning to stay in an old League hideout overnight and surprise Laurel in the morning. From there, would have taken any normal person at least twenty minutes to get to Starling General, but it took Nyssa less than fifteen.

By 11:40, she was rushing through the busy hallways, searching frantically for Laurel's room. She didn't even need to look at the room number to know when she'd found it; Laurel's team hanging around outside a door at the end of the hall was telling enough. Nyssa hardly spared them a glance as she barged past them, earning a surprised shout from either Thea or Felicity (she didn't particularly care to figure out which), and practically threw herself into the room.

It was empty save for Oliver, looking more disheveled than Nyssa had ever seen him, and Laurel, pale enough to rival the sheets she lay beneath. Fresh out of surgery, it seemed.

"How is she?" Nyssa managed to sound a lot more composed than she actually was.

"The doctors said she going to be fine." Oliver's voice was soft, almost in a defeated sort of way. Nyssa would have taken a moment to pity him had she not been preoccupied with making sure her girlfriend was going to survive.

She hurried to Laurel's bedside and gently laid a hand on top of hers. It was cold, enough so that Nyssa couldn't help but wonder if Laurel hadn't stopped breathing. Despite the heart monitor telling her that Laurel was indeed alive, she took her hand back and held it above Laurel's nose, relieved to feel warm breath on her skin.

"Who did this to her?" Nyssa asked once she was satisfied. Oliver had been irritatingly vague on the phone, and she suspected it was because he was worried she'd go after Laurel's assailant alone. He was correct in thinking that she'd want to, but she wouldn't. Not tonight, at least. Her place right now was here, by Laurel's side.

Oliver didn't answer right away, and Nyssa made eye contact with him, willing him to give her the bastard's identity so she could begin plotting their demise.

"It was Damien Darhk." Oliver told her at last.

She knew the name well, both from her father and from Laurel's updates on what was happening in Star City in Nyssa's absence. More than once, Nyssa had offered to return and assist in defeating Hive, but Laurel had assured her that, now that Oliver was back, they had everything under control. Oh, how she wished she hadn't listened.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been silent, but apparently, it was long enough for Oliver to assume she was making murder plans. A fair assumption, really.

"Nyssa," He began lowly. "You cannot go after him."

"I can and I will." Nyssa snapped. She didn't care what Oliver said; Darhk would pay for attempting to take her beloved from her. "Just not yet." She softened, returning her to attention to Laurel. "I wasn't there when she needed me. The least I can do is stay with her now."

"This isn't your fault."

"I know that." Nyssa sighed. "But perhaps, if I'd been there, I could have done something." Just for something to do with her hands, she began gently smoothing out the wrinkles in Laurel's sheet.

"There was nothing anyone could have done." Oliver attempted to assure her. "Darhk uses magic. There was no way anyone could have stopped him."

True as his words may be, Nyssa couldn't help but tell herself that, even if everyone had been rendered completely useless, she would have done something. She would have fought through whatever magic Darhk tried to use. She would have saved Laurel.

It was a lie and she knew it, but she couldn't bear to think that she wouldn't have made a difference. That she would have been forced to watch helplessly as an attempt was made on her beloved's life.

"Could I... have a moment alone with her?" Nyssa asked quietly.

"Yeah." Oliver gave her a nod and headed to the door. After one last glance at Laurel, he rejoined his team in the hallway.

Once he was gone, Nyssa leaned down to press a kiss to Laurel's forehead, firmly grasping her icy hand.

"I'm so sorry, my love." She whispered, rubbing at the back of Laurel's hand as if she could bring the warmth back to it. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there. Next time, I promise I'll be there."

She was fairly certain that Laurel couldn't hear her, but talking still provided a small bit of comfort. She meant every word of it, too. She was going to be there for Laurel from now on, no matter what. There would be no more long journeys away from her beloved.

"I love you." She whispered, bringing Laurel's hand up to her lips so she could kiss it.

At that moment, the door flew open behind her, and she dropped Laurel's hand and whipped around. Upon seeing that it was Quentin Lance who had nearly broken the door down, Nyssa relaxed slightly.

He seemed surprised to see her, but nothing was said of it. After all, there were far more pressing matters.

Quentin hurried to the side of the bed that was not currently occupied by Nyssa, gazing upon his daughter with a pain in his eyes that Nyssa knew quite well.

"Did they..." He began awkwardly, glancing up at Nyssa. "Did they say when she'd wake up?"

"Not that I've heard." Nyssa replied. "But she will be alright."

Quentin nodded, breathing deeply. He brought his hand over his head, as if trying to run it through hair that was no longer there. Neither of them seemed to know what to say to one another, so Nyssa let her attention drift to the clock. 11:52.

"You got here quick." Quentin remarked, breaking the silence between them. "Last I heard, you left the city."

"I was on my way back." Nyssa replied, her eyes on Laurel rather than Quentin. "She'd been saying she wanted me to visit, so I was going to surprise her. When Oliver called me, I came as quickly as I could."

"Y'know, I'm glad she has you." Quentin nodded in approval. "Despite everything, you're a good friend."

"A friend?" Nyssa asked before she could stop herself. "Laurel hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

Nyssa paused for a moment. Laurel might kill her for telling Quentin about their relationship, but there was no graceful way to get out the conversation at this point.

"She and I have been romantically involved for some time now. She said she was going to tell you."

"The hell is it with you and dating my daughters?" Admittedly, that was not the response Nyssa had been expecting, but definitely not the worst thing Quentin could have said. He didn't even seem that upset, just mildly exasperated. "Alright, listen, I don't want you to think I've forgotten what you did when we first met, but I know you mean a lot to Laurel. As long as you make her happy, I've got no reason to be upset. Just understand that if you ever even think about hurting my baby girl, there's gonna be hell to pay."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Nyssa found it vaguely amusing that he thought he could threaten her, but she'd play nice for Laurel's sake.

It seemed that Quentin was about to continue, but before he could get a word out, a small noise caught their attention. It took Nyssa a moment to realize that the sound had come from the bed between them. From Laurel.

"Laurel?" Quentin put a hand on Laurel's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Laurel, sweetheart, can you hear me?"

Laurel being to stir lightly, her eyelids fluttering. As Quentin continued to rouse his daughter, Nyssa shot another glance at the clock. The moment it turned to 11:59, Laurel opened her eyes and slowly gazed about the room.

"Daddy?" She asked softly as she spotted her father. A small smile slowly spread across her face. "Hi."

"Hey, baby." Quentin whispered back, tears building up in his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"'M tired." Laurel murmured sleepily.

"Yeah, I bet." Quentin gave her a small grin, relief clear on his face.

Nyssa waited patiently beside Laurel, allowing the two of them to have their moment. When Laurel's gaze drifted to her, Nyssa decided that it was well worth.

"Nyssa?" Laurel asked uncertainly. She reached out to touch Nyssa, as if to make sure she was real.

"I'm here, darling." Nyssa took her hand and held it tightly.

At the word 'darling', Laurel's eyes widened and she glanced at her father.

"He knows, my love."

"You do?" Laurel asked incredulously, and Nyssa suddenly got the feeling that she was in trouble. Understandable, considering she'd outed them both without permission.

"Yeah, I do." Quinten said awkwardly. "Looks like you two might need a minute, so I'm gonna go find a doctor to check you over, okay?"

He pressed a quick kiss to Laurel's forehead before shuffling out of the room, leaving the two women alone.

"I'm sorry." Nyssa said the moment he was gone. "I shouldn't have told him without your permission."

"No, no, it's fine." Laurel sighed. "I have no idea when I was planning on doing it. How'd he react?"

"Like a father." Nyssa replied. "He has no issue."

"That's good, at least." Laurel remarked, her eyes drifting shut for a moment. Nyssa squeezed her hand in an effort to keep her awake.

"Are you in any pain?" She asked.

"Not really," Laurel shook her head. "It's kind of numb right now."

Nyssa nodded, satisfied. For about a minute or so, the two of them just existed together in silence, Nyssa stroking the back of Laurel's hand with her thumb.

"So," Laurel began suddenly. "Do you have superspeed now or was I just asleep for a really long time?"

"Neither." Nyssa smiled softly. "I was on my way back to see you. I thought it had been too long, and I was right. I should have come back much sooner. That way, I would have been there."

"Hey," Laurel said seriously. "Don't start saying this is your fault. We've got enough self-blame with just Oliver."

"I know it isn't my fault, but I still wish that I'd been there." Nyssa replied. "And from now on, I will be."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm staying in Star City."

"I thought you said you didn't want to be tied down."

"Things have changed since then."

"Nyssa, no." Nyssa had no idea why Laurel seemed not to want her to stay. She'd been so disappointed when, all those months ago, Nyssa had said she'd be leaving. "Please don't let me be the thing that ties you down."

"Laurel, I don't want you to think I'm staying here out of obligation to protect you. I'm staying because this has made me realize that anything can happen. Yes, I want to be there to keep you safe, but I also just want to spend time with you. If you had died, and the majority of our relationship had been spent away from one another, I would have never forgiven myself for wasting all the time we could have spent together. I want to be with you, fully, in person. I don't want to waste any more time."

"Wow," Laurel chuckled after a long pause. "Did you script that?"

Nyssa rolled her eyes as Laurel tried to stifle her laughter so as not to pull her stitches.

"Well, I guess I can't argue with a dramatic speech like that." Laurel decided. "Remember that offer to stay at my place? It still stands."

"Then I graciously accept."

"Awesome. I'll help you move in." Laurel replied, glancing down at the spot where she'd been wounded. "When I'm not in the hospital, that is."

"I look forward to it." Nyssa said, pressing a kiss to Laurel's hand. "But for now, just rest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not especially proud of this one. I feel like it doesn't read very well and the ending is kind of abrupt, but I'm still teaching myself how to write and I was on a schedule, so this is what we ended up with. I considered scraping it entirely, but it contains context for Quentin knowing about the relationship and for Laurel and Nyssa living together, so I decided to keep it.


End file.
